The Encyclopedia of Mana Manipulation is the 2nd chapter of The Beginning After The End Novel.
Summary[]
The chapter narrates the story of a former king from Earth who has been reborn into a new world. In his past life, he was a powerful ruler skilled in swordsmanship and ki control, essential traits for rulership. Now, as a baby named Arthur Leywin, he takes pride in his newfound ability to crawl and is learning about his new world through his parents’ stories.
His father, Reynolds Leywin, is a former adventurer who participated in numerous treasure hunts and missions for the Adventurer Guild. He chose to settle down after meeting his future wife who works at the Adventurer Guild hall in Valden, where he claims it was love at first sight, although their son suspects the romantic tale might be embellished. Arthur’s mother is depicted as a strong-willed woman who doesn’t hesitate to correct her husband’s boastful stories.
Arthur Leywin, affectionately called Art, reflects on his new identity as a baby with a kingly past. He finds himself adorable with his mother’s auburn hair and father’s azure eyes. Art humorously warns of his future charm and celebrates his recent crawling achievement, which has amusingly led his mother to predict he’ll be as lively as his father.
Arthur Leywin, reflecting on his reading, finds the world he’s in to be technologically behind, with horse-drawn carriages and sailboats as the main transport. The casual use of weapons in public contrasts with Earth, where weapons are carried by soldiers and guards mainly as a deterrent to crime. Arthur is shocked by the public’s nonchalant reaction to violence, such as applauding a mercenary who attacked a thief. The passage ends with Arthur’s observations of the stark differences between his past and current worlds, particularly the normalization of violence. The world shares a monarchical system with Earth, but here, kingship is hereditary. Arthur finds limited information about other continents and speculates on the underdeveloped state of maritime technology.
The concept of magic is new to Arthur, contrasting with the ki-based abilities on Earth. Here, mana exists in the atmosphere and is used by Mages, which differs from Earth’s internal ki. On Earth, the size of one’s ki center determined their strength, but in this world, the abundance of atmospheric mana may change that dynamic. Arthur, who was a prodigy in using ki, speculates that with mana, he could significantly increase his strength beyond what he achieved as a king on Earth.
Arthur Leywin discovers from “Beginner’s Guide for the Privileged Mage” that mana control is a genetic trait, but not all Magi offspring can sense mana. Only about 1 in 100 children can sense mana, which becomes evident when their mana core develops, typically during adolescence. The book details two primary uses of mana: augmenting, which enhances the body and is common among warriors, and conjuring, which allows Mages to cast spells affecting their surroundings or specific targets.
Augmenters have great physical capabilities but limited range, while conjurers can manipulate their environment with spells but must draw mana from both their core and the atmosphere. Aptitude for each type is measured differently: augmenters by the strength of their mana channels and conjurers by their mana veins. Proficiency in both is rare and typically not pursued due to the complexity. The text also mentions rare deviants, particularly Emitters or healers, who can heal others with mana. Arthur’s father is a skilled augmenter, and his mother is an exceptional healer, an Emitter. Arthur admires his mother’s healing abilities.
Conjuring in Arthur’s world involves several steps: gathering mana from the environment, stabilizing and purifying it within the mana core, and then channeling it through a conductor like a staff or wand, using incantations to shape the spell. The complexity of the spell dictates the time needed for preparation. Conjurers often have an affinity for certain elemental spells but can learn to cast basic spells from all elemental categories with practice.
Augmenting is a process that enhances physical abilities using mana, requiring less atmospheric mana and more from the practitioner’s own mana core. It’s akin to using ki on Earth, with the added ability to draw mana from the surroundings. Augmenting demands a deep understanding of one’s body and efficient mana channeling. Unlike conjuring, augmenting doesn’t initially involve elemental distinctions, but allows for diverse combat styles. Both augmenters and conjurers risk ‘Backlash’—pain from mana core depletion or overfilling, respectively, due to improper mana management.
Arthur Leywin, after absorbing a wealth of information about mana and its uses and reflecting on the similarities between ki and mana, attempts to meditate and access the mana within himself, despite being only seven months old. His efforts are humorously interrupted by his mother, who mistakes his focus for digestive trouble and proceeds to change his diaper, much to Arthur’s chagrin. The humorous ending underscores the contrast between his former life as a king and his current one as an infant.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Arthur Leywin
- Reynolds Leywin
- Alice Leywin
- Unnamed Thief